Ruined Romances
by hollybridgetpeppermint
Summary: Rosethorn and Crane's attempts at romance...unfortunately, they seem to have an unintentional habit of being spied on...Yes, I KNOW it's technically not RC, according to the books, but guess what? I DON'T CARE!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, blah-de-blah-de-blah, etc., etc.**

**Aelish: Oh, come on. It's not that boring.**

**Me: What? You're in this story too!**

**Aelish: Yes, of course. This is a _very_ good story for what I do. (evil grin)**

**Me: Oh boy. Umm…yeah, people, this is Aelish, my evil Cupid twin, who writes all the romantic parts in my fics. As I keep telling the characters, _she's_ the one to get mad at, not me.**

**Aelish: Oh, come on. You know you like those parts.**

**Me: That's as may be. The fact remains, I do not write them, therefore I am not to blame when…**

**Rosethorn: Ah, _there_** **you are. I was wondering where you'd got to.**

**Me: OH NO…**

**Rosethorn: Oh yes. I am now going to hang you in the well. Only I will hang you in _your_ well so that you won't poison mine.**

**Me: Muahaha! I don't have a well!**

**Rosethorn: (momentarily deflated) Oh. Well, then…(thinks) Aha! I have it! I'll hang you in Crane's well!**

**Me: Uh-oh…**

**Crane: Hey!**

**Rosethorn: Muahaha!**

**Me: Enjoythestoryeveryone! (runs away)**

**Rosethorn: (runs after me)**

**Crane: Rosethorn! (runs after Rosethorn) You can't hang her in my well! Rosethorn, do you hear me! Rosethorn!**

**Aelish: (waves hand, movie seat appears) Ah, that's better. (sits, rummages in air and pulls out plastic bag) This time, I brought candy. (settles back in seat, munching comfortably on chocolate-covered raisins)**

**Chapter 1**

"Good morning," said Briar Moss, walking into the kitchen and looking around drowsily at the occupants of the table. "G'morning Lark, Duchess, Coppercurls, Daj', Bear, Niko, Frostpine…Crane?" On the last word he sounded decidedly unwelcoming, and continued this way. "Where's Rosethorn? Did you kill her or something?"

The dedicate in the yellow habit with a black stripe, otherwise known as Crane, scowled down at the boy. "No, I didn't. I came in here looking for her. We couldn't find her, and Lark invited me to breakfast. We were just discussing it when you…" he looked at the boy with distaste, "_blundered_ in here."

Briar raised his eyebrows, but made no comment. Instead he plumped himself down in an empty chair. Lark set a waiting bowl of oatmeal down in front of him.

"Anyway," Crane said, obviously resuming what he had been saying earlier, "I suppose there's no chance of her still being abed?"

Lark's black curls bounced as she shook her head. "I'm afraid not," she said. "I already checked."

"Well, then where is she?" asked Crane impatiently. "I had to ask her about something…"  
"Is it really that important?" Lark wanted to know.

The man raised a finger, opened his mouth, and then sighed. "No," he said. "I suppose not."

Lark smiled. "Then I'm sure it can wait until she gets back from wherever she…"

The door opened, and a woman with short auburn hair came in. Her green habit was streaked with dirt, and a scowl was on her face.

"Morning, Rosie," said Lark calmly, as if it were just another day. Crane, on the other hand, jumped up.

"Rosethorn!" he said quickly. "There's a plant in my greenhouse that needs tending. It won't respond to me, and…"

He was cut off by Rosethorn herself, who turned angrily to him.

"Can't I have a moment to breathe before you start jabbering at me?" she said sharply. "You know perfectly well that I am not your plants' nursemaid, and you also know perfectly well what I think of that glass monstrosity you keep them in! Or need I say it again?"

Most people would have shrunk from either her harsh words or the glare she now turned on Crane, or both. He, however, glared right back.

"I _told_ you, it won't respond to me!" he said furiously. "And my greenhouse is not a 'monstrosity!' It is simply a way to grow plants…"

"Out of season!" Rosethorn interrupted. "It's a way to grow plants out of season, against their natural cycle!"

Crane took a breath to speak, and then thought better of it. He let it out in a hiss, and said, as slowly and calmly as he could, "Will you…_please_…just take a look at the plant!"

She looked quite astonished at the fact that he had said 'please.' She mouthed wordlessly for a few moments, then rolled her eyes. "Yes, Crane," she said at last. "I will look at the plant. But Mila protect _you_ if this keeps happening!"

"Protect him from you?" inquired Frostpine, at the same time as Niko muttered, "Bad mood as usual, I see." Rosethorn picked up on his remark first.

"Well, you would be in a bad mood too," she snapped, turning on him, "if you'd just had a run-in with those Water temple idiots and then you came back, expecting some quiet, and someone wanted you to deal with their…"

"What did the Water people do now?" Frostpine asked with a sigh.

"Oh, some whining about bandages or some such thing. It wasn't important, but Green Man bless us, I'm sick of having to deal with those fussy Water people and their incompetence!"

"Aren't we all," murmured Lark. "Still, that's no reason to skip breakfast. Are you hungry?"

Rosethorn rolled her eyes. If Briar had had a magical connection with her as he had with Sandry, Tris, and Daja, he could have sworn that she would have told him through it, _Just like Lark. The sky is falling and here's your breakfast, dear._ He heartily agreed, but as he couldn't currently talk to her without speaking out loud, he settled for reading into the eye roll as Rosethorn sat down. Lark ladled out the oatmeal for her and she began to eat.

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

Later, Rosethorn (after much coaxing from Lark) did as she had promised and went to look at Crane's plant.

He led her through the greenhouse, ignoring her snorts and eye rolls as she passed various plants growing out of season, to a pansy from Yanjing. **(A/N: If this is completely weird somehow—a pansy in Yanjing?—forgive me. It's 3:33 a.m. (hey, 333!) and I picked a random flower.)** At first sight it looked normal, but on closer examination Rosethorn could see that it was wilting slightly.

"Oh, is that all it is?" she said. She touched its petals gently and send a pulse of power down her fingers. Nothing happened. Frowning, she tried again. Still nothing.

"See what I mean?" Crane asked, rather sarcastically, she thought. After another minute of nothing, he sighed. "Maybe if we do it together?" He placed his hand over hers, and suddenly froze, staring at her.

Time seemed to stop for both. Rosethorn was painfully aware of the fact that Crane's hand sat on top of hers, and that his face was inches away from hers as he leaned forward over her shoulder. What was going on here? Her first instinct was to move, to pull her hand away, but she didn't seem to be able to. She watched, paralyzed, as he leaned in a little, hesitated, then closed the distance between their faces and pressed his lips gently to hers. The next thing she knew, her arms were around him and she was kissing him back.

"Ahem!" came a voice from the door of the greenhouse. They broke apart, extremely embarrassed, and Crane whirled around. Briar was standing in the doorway, looking rather confused. Rosethorn felt her face go hot, and she was sure it must be at least as red as her tomato plants.

"I…umm…" said the former street rat, looking from Rosethorn to Crane and back again. "Lark wants you," he finally told his teacher.

She watched him for a moment, avoiding looking at Crane. Then she sighed. "If either of you breathes a word of this to _anyone_, anyone at all, I will personally hang you in the well," she said, and left the greenhouse.

**A/N: Well! I'm glad that's over!**

**Rosethorn: (in high, squeaky voice) I'll be back!**

**Crane: (comes in panting) What'd you do?**

**Me: (calmly) I turned her into a ladybug.**

**Aelish and Crane: (stare)**

**Me: (shrugs, picks up book and reads)**

**Aelish and Crane: (look at each other and shake their heads)**

**Me: (while still reading) Oh yeah, people. Review please. (turns page of book)**

**Crane: Who does this remind me of?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the charact—**

**Aelish: FORGET THE STUPID DISCLAIMER ALREADY!**

**Me: You stay out of this chapter!**

**Aelish: No!**

**Me: But I don't want all the characters after me again!**

**Aelish: Well, too bad! Besides, it's so fun to watch!**

**Me: But—**

**Crane: This is her?**

**Rosethorn: Yep.**

**Me: Umm…how did you get her back from being a ladybug?**

**Crane: Well, I'm a plant mage, aren't I?**

**Me: But I'm supposed to be all-powerful around here!**

**Rosethorn: Too bad. GET HER!**

**Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"…and I came in and there they were, _kissing_!" Briar finished.

Sandry looked at him. "You have to be kidding me!"

"Nope." He shook his head, looking positive.

"Then you've been seeing things again," the noble insisted. "They can't have been…" She trailed off.

"She's right," said Daja.

"Why don't you believe me?" demanded Briar.

"Well, if they were kissing, that means they like each other," said Tris sensibly.

Daja looked at her in surprise. "You agree with him, then?"  
"I didn't say they _were_ kissing," returned Tris snappishly. "I just said _if_."

"Oi," Briar mumbled. "Why can't you trust me? She's my teacher, isn't she?"  
"Yes, but you're a thief," Daja pointed out.

"I don't nick things all that much anymore," the boy protested.

"But does that have an effect on whether you lie or not?" Tris wanted to know.

Briar sighed. "You skirts are so picky!"  
"How many times do I have to tell you? I am _not_ a 'skirt'! I am a girl!"

"You'd think after all this time he'd have got away from his street talk," Daja commented.

Briar shook his head. "It's perfectly good talk. Better than what all you sniffers use. And…"

"Boy!" came a shout from below. "Come on down here! There's weeding to be done!"

He jumped to his feet. "Don't tell her I told you," he said. "She said if I did, she'd hang me in the well." With that, he ran out of the room.

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

Dinner passed in silence, for the most part, although there were some mind-to-mind comments from Briar about the fact that Rosethorn looked rather confused, and how she had been very out-of-it that afternoon in the garden.

_I tell you, she was thinking about that kiss!_ he insisted.

_If it even happened,_ said Tris.

"But it _did_!" he retorted, almost at his wits' end. Unfortunately, in his distress he said it aloud. Everyone turned to stare.

"What was that?" asked Lark after a moment. Rosethorn narrowed her eyes at him, and he looked away.

"Um…nothing. Never mind," he mumbled, at which Rosethorn looked even more suspicious.

"He was just telling us that his dusting did get done a few days ago. We've been arguing about it for a while, but we figured there was no need to disturb you," Sandry lied. Briar was surprised. She didn't agree with him, so why was she covering up for him?

When the adults resumed their conversation again, Rosethorn still looking slightly uncomfortable, he asked her as much.

_You needed it_, she replied. _Whether I agree with you or not. Besides, I don't want you hung in the well. You might poison our water._

_You're starting to sound like Rosethorn,_ he grumbled. _In fact, she said pretty much the same thing to me once._

Sandry said nothing, only grinned.

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

After the meal, Sandry, Daja and Tris went up to their rooms. Niko and Frostpine left, saying they had things to attend to, and Rosethorn went into her workroom. This left Lark and Briar. The dedicate got out her spinning, and Briar set to memorizing yet another of Rosethorn's endless lists of plants.

It had not been quiet for very long when there was a knock on the door. Lark got up to answer it.

"Yes?" Briar heard her say, and then a moment later, "Oh. Hello, Crane. What brings you here?"

"I came to see…er…that is, I was wondering…if Rosethorn was here?"

At this, Briar sat up and listened hard. "Yes," Lark said. "She's in her workroom. Come this way." She stepped inside, and Crane followed her to the room. As he knocked on the door, she came back to the living room.

"Come in." That was Rosethorn. Briar jumped up.

"I have to…um…I'll be right back," he said, and ran down the hall after Crane.

The dedicate had just shut the door of the workroom behind him when Briar arrived. The boy quickly and silently opened it a crack and peered in. Rosethorn had her head down and was writing something at a table. Crane stood behind her, watching.

The man cleared his throat, looking slightly nervous. After a moment, Rosethorn looked up.

"Oh, it's you," she said.

"Yes," Crane told her, now looking distinctly uncomfortable. "I came to…ah…I mean, I…would like to apologize for…um…what happened yesterday…" He trailed off.

Rosethorn stood up and turned around to face him, then stopped as she realized how close she was standing to him. They both stood there for some moments, as Briar watched, waiting…waiting…

A hand touched his shoulder, and he whirled around, too well-trained in this type of thing to make a sound. It was Lark. She grinned at him.

"Spying?" she whispered. He nodded sheepishly, and she motioned for him to scoot over. This he did, and she put her eye to the crack that he'd been looking through.

After a moment, she looked back at him, her eyes dancing. "I think they're in la-la-land," she said.

He grinned. Street talk. "No, they're in love-love-land," he informed her. She raised an eyebrow.

"I saw it with my own eyes," he said. She shrugged and looked back through the crack in the door.

Barely a second later, however, she turned her head to look at him again. "I see what you mean," she told him, smiling mischievously, and gestured for him to look.

He looked, and laughed. They were kissing again. Unfortunately, he laughed a bit too loudly.

"Um," he heard Crane say, and then footsteps. Lark's eyes widened, and she dashed for the living room. Briar would have done the same, but he was still in a crouching position, and while he was nimble, Lark was the one who had been an acrobat. As he stood up, the door opened, and he found himself staring at Crane, with Rosethorn close behind.

He wasn't the only one in trouble, however. As fast as Lark could run, it wasn't quite fast enough. Rosethorn narrowed her eyes, and then walked out into the living room just in time to see Lark sit down on the couch, panting a little. Briar and Crane followed. Briar gave Lark a half-apologetic, half-sympathetic smile from behind Crane.

"Lark?" asked Rosethorn, with deceptive calm.

The other dedicate looked up. "Yes?" she said, sounding completely innocent. Briar made a mental note to ask her for lessons sometime.

Rosethorn sighed. "Were you, or were you not, spying on u—me?" For some odd reason, Briar had the feeling that the word she had changed partway through was 'us'.

Lark looked at her and sighed. "A little spying every now and then is good for you, Rosie."

To Briar's extreme astonishment, Rosethorn, after staring at Lark for a minute, smiled and shook her head. "Oh, you," she said. Then she made as though to go back into her workroom, avoiding looking at Crane as she did so. Halfway there, however, she turned around. "And as for you, my lad," she said, "you are forgiven this time too, I suppose. But if it happens again, I'll…"

"I know, you'll hang me in the well," mumbled Briar, sighing. "You could get some new threats, you know."

Rosethorn simply raised her eyebrows and went into the workroom, shutting the door with a bang that was somewhat louder than necessary. Crane left, looking highly embarrassed.

As soon as they were gone, Briar looked at Lark, who was spinning again. "How do you do that?" he wanted to know. "Act so…innocent?"

She shrugged. "It's not that hard."  
He managed to remain silent for a minute before the question burst out of him. "Can you teach me?"

Lark looked up and regarded him with her head on one side. Briar waited impatiently.

At last, she gave him an impish smile. "You'll learn in no time."

* * *

**A/N: (panting) Okay—review—et cetera—you know the—drill…phew!**

**Crane: LET ME DOWN!**

**Me: No!**

**Aelish: What'd you do this time?**

**Me: Turned Rosethorn into a well and hung Crane in it.**

**Crane: THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS POSITION I HAVE BEEN IN FOR YEARS!**

**Me: Good. Maybe it will teach you not to chase me, because this is AELISH'S fault!**

**Aelish: No it's not!**

**Me: Yes it is! You're the one writing all the ridiculous parts!**

**Aelish: But YOU'RE the author! How can I be writing part of the story?**

**Me: Because you're my evil Cupid twin!**

**Aelish: Don't be ridiculous! I'm just a normal girl!**

**Me: No you're not!**

**Aelish: Yes I am!**

**Me: No you're not!**

**Aelish: Yes I am!**

**Me: _No you're not!_**

**Aelish: _Yes I am!_**

**Me: NO YOU'RE NOT!**

**Aelish: YES I AM!**

**Me: Why do I get the feeling this is going the same way all the arguments in my fanfics go?**

**Aelish: Beats me…**

**Me: Oh well…see you people next chapter!**

**Aelish: Now, where were we? Oh yes…_YES I AM!_**

**Me: _NO YOU'RE NOT!_**

**Aelish: _YES I AM!_ …**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Do I even have to bother with this anymore?**

**Aelish: How many times do I have to tell you, NO!**

**Me: That was a rhetorical question.**

**Aelish: Tough.**

**Me: Ergh…**

**Rosethorn: Now that I have gotten out of that _undignified_ position…as a WELL…(glares at me)…**

**Me: Uh-oh…(runs away)**

**Rosethorn: Come on, Crane! (runs after)**

**Crane: (follows, looking rather embarrassed because he's running)**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"Now," said Honored Moonstream, the Dedicate Superior of Winding Circle, "I have brought you two here because I have a job for you to do."

Rosethorn and Crane were seated in her office, carefully avoiding looking at each other, and listening as Moonstream explained what she wanted with them.

"I would like for you to do a project together," she continued.

"_What?_" asked the two other dedicates simultaneously.

"I know, I know," Moonstream said, and sighed. "You two don't like working together. But you _have_ worked together before, and furthermore, you have done a good job of it. I know you will help me with this problem."

She went on to explain the project in detail. Unfortunately, Rosethorn, however hard she tried, couldn't concentrate. Instead she stared at Crane, who had his eyes fixed on the Dedicate Superior and was drinking in every word she said. He looked as if he was going to love this project.

_How am I going to work with him?_ she thought desperately. _It was bad enough when we argued all the time, but now…this._ She knew that no matter what, she couldn't get away from or forget about 'this.' It was not the sort of thing to just go away when she wanted it to. An argument wasn't either, but it could be pushed aside, forced back by sheer will. 'This' couldn't. 'This' depended partly on the other person and what they decided to do, and judging from what Crane had decided the past two times, Rosethorn knew she wasn't likely to escape from it anytime soon.

It was not the actual kissing that was the problem, she decided as Moonstream went on and on. It was the uncomfortable feelings afterwards, and the fact that people kept coming in at exactly the wrong moment. The kissing itself was actually quite pleasant, she thought, and then mentally slapped herself. What in the Green Man's name was she thinking?

It was at this point that she noticed that both Moonstream and Crane were looking at her, obviously waiting for an answer to a question.

"Umm…" she said, blushing. "Uh, I, uh, didn't hear what you said. Could you repeat it?"

"I asked what you thought about doing the project. Exactly how hard do you think it will be?"

"I…um…I don't know. It sounds easy enough, I suppose. If we work hard." There. That would have to do. It was a passable answer, although Crane looked slightly suspicious, as though he realized she hadn't been listening.

"All right, then," said Moonstream. "You two may go."

Rosethorn quickly stood up, almost knocking her chair over in the process, and left the office.

_**rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn**_

"Okay, what do we do?" asked Rosethorn a little while later. They were in the living room at Discipline. Both had pencils, and there were neat piles of charts, maps, and paper on the table in front of them.

"Were you listening to Moonstream at all?" demanded Crane.

"Um…sort of."

The other dedicate sighed. "All right, out with it. What were you thinking about?"

What was she supposed to say? 'I was thinking about you and what would happen while we worked on this project?' "I…er…" she mumbled. Her face turned red for the second time that day.

"Come on, it can't be that bad, whatever it was," he said, looking interested now.

"Uhh…" She blushed even harder.

"Rosethorn?" His tone had changed, she noticed. It was suddenly gentler, more…tender? Was that really a good word to describe it?

Before she could decide, he was kissing her again. This wasn't so bad, she decided—and froze as she heard a new voice.

"I told you so!" said a very triumphant Briar to Sandry, Daja, and Tris. All three girls were looking astonished.

Rosethorn glared at Briar. "Boy…" she said warningly. She must have succeeded in sounding like her usual self, because he looked a little scared.

"We weren't spying," he protested. "We just walked in and there it was. But they didn't believe me when I told th—oops," he added as he realized his mistake.

Rosethorn raised her eyebrows. "You told them," she repeated.

"Uh, yeah."

She'd meant to go on, but suddenly she didn't want to argue anymore. She sighed. "Well, I suppose it's only to be expected. They are in your mind, after all."

Briar looked surprised. So did the girls and Crane. Seeing this, she shrugged. "I just don't feel much like arguing with you right now." She turned to Crane. "So, you never answered my question. What do we do?"

* * *

**A/N: Review please? Thanks to Alanna22039, TheWriter21, LandUnderWave, music nerd, blueholly, and eredea for reviews of previous chapters, and everyone else, GET MOVING! Virtual treats for those who review this chapter! I—**

**Rosethorn: Mph mph mphmmph mph!**

**Me: Ignore her. Now, then, I—**

**Crane: (comes panting up) What did you DO?**

**Me: (with wicked smile) Oh, so you _do_ care.**

**Crane: (blushes) No! I just—well, she _is _my friend!**

**Me: More than that.**

**Crane: Nuh-uh!**

**Me: Whatever. (snorts) Anyway, to answer your question, I got tired of using my All-Powerful Authoress Powers and tied her up instead.**

**Aelish: You used you All-Powerful Authoress Powers to tie her up! Besides, I have All-Powerful Authoress Powers too, because I'm your evil Cupid twin!**

**Me: Soooo…?**

**Aelish: Soooo, you lied!**

**Me: No I didn't!**

**Aelish: You said you got tired of using your All-Powerful Authoress Powers and tied her up, but you used them to tie her up!**

**Me: Gah! Go away!**

**Aelish: No.**

**Me: Then at least be quiet.**

**Aelish: No. (sings) I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves…**

**Everyone: OH NO! (covers ears)**

**Aelish: (evil-Cupid-twin-smile) Oh _yes!_ (continues singing) I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it goes. I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it goes. I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it goes…**


End file.
